An Antique fireplace mantel is doubtless the most momentous item of furniture that you’ll invest for your house because it’s a permanent fixture that will survive and fit any of the house remodeling and endless redecoration and style changes that a home will have to endure over its lifetime.

French Fireplace:

A French Mantel is identified by its quintessential finesse regardless of carving style and design period. They are a bit lower and deeper than those of the Italians.

All along the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the extravagant style of fireplaces were generally correlated with French mantels and characterized by floral carvings,

detailed coats of arms and focused more on ‘story telling’. This genre of Neo-classical style came to lead during the reign of Louis XVI.

Ancient Surfaces’ wide gallery of fireplaces contains a trove of French and Italian antique limestone mantel fireplaces which is considered by many expert to be one of the world most significant in both size and importance.

Here’s an antique limestone mantle above was salvaged from France and was raised by a hearth to perfectly fit an existing fireplace box in California.

As for the style of mantles goes, the most sought after are 14th to 17th century gems that are Southern Italian, Tuscan or French Bastide also called French Farmhouse of Countryside fireplace which are characterized by their simplicity.

We, at Ancient surfaces, believe that beauty comes from simplicity, we take our time in restoring each original fireplace back to its former glory.

French Fireplace fitting in perfectly with this living room’s atmosphere

Nowadays, Newly hand carved limestone stone fireplaces are custom tailored to accommodate any firebox opening and can be carved out in any design.

Sometimes functional items are designed so beautifully that they blur the line between architecture and art. The stone fireplace surrounds in our collection are beautifully hand carved ancient works of art.
As the evenings growing colder, no wonder many of us start turning on the glow of their beloved fireplaces. Many of us think that it might be a little too late to remodel their fireplaces and replace them with the real deal. Well, think again! With some extra motivation fueled by your desire to enjoy your winter season in a European flair, you can have your own masterpiece.

Here are the top 10 most beautiful, inspiring, ancient and cozy fireplaces that maybe still within your grasp:

Our primal connection to art and fire have gone hand-in-hand ever since cavemen created art on the walls of caves by firelight. This mantel fireplace gives a feeling to be simultaneously ancient and modern.

The sculptural elements of this classic fireplace rival anything I saw in the castles of Europe or France! It makes you want to relax in front of the fire while listening to Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto Number 3 in G Major.” That music always makes me feel uplifted in spirit, and I think it fits the fireplace.

This splendid Italian 16th century stone fireplace mantle has been restored sold and shipped to the Americas were it was installed by a team of professional master masons that have perfected to installation process down to a science

This amazing fireplace was custom designed for the client and hand carved from stone. I would listen to Bach again, but this time it would have to be “Tocata and Fugue in D Minor,” a much heavier piece.

This stunning French limestone fireplace mantel was realized in the Provence style and was the main feature of this frugal French farmhouse in Provence.

This stunning French limestone fireplace mantel was realized in the Provence style and was the main feature of this frugal French farmhouse in Provence.

This simply designed French fireplace making tradition of the 18th and 17th centuries. Its classical simplicity speaks volumes about the period in which it was conceived.

Selecting the right piece of stone and choosing the direction of placement shows off a stunningly beautiful natural work of art. It’s an ancient piece of stone, yet it reads like a contemporary abstract painting with all the artistic carvings.

This is a unique Louis XV limestone fireplace from Provence dating back to the 17th century.

A fireplace is often a focal point already, but when holidays come, it takes on added significance —with Santa coming down the chimney and all. Encircle your Christmas stockings with mantel decorations to suit the holiday spirit. Once your fireplace is cheerful, it’s time to light a fire, sit back with a glass of wine and soak up that heart-warming feeling of the holidays at home.
A fireplace is always on display, but this time of year it’s especially under the spot lights, with friends and family warming up in front of a roaring fire or huddling in the living room for an evening of games or movies. The stone mantel, which usually is an added value actor throughout the year, lands a starring role around the holidays, with beautiful, stockings and string lights draped across it.
Here’s few of Ancient surfaces mantel fireplaces decorated in a very stunning way to add Christmas spirit into the room

Very simple and clean fireplace, very warm yellow lights are dispersed around the fireplace and on the stove along with reindeer and a tiny Christmas tree to create a special mood and get into the Christmas holiday feeling.

They say nothing lasts forever, but we all know that one can own a few items that may last for generations to come. No, we’re not talking about a girl’s best friend to quote Marline Monroe. Even though our stones can’t be worn on your wrists or fingers, they still can be a crowd pleaser none the less. Installing an antique limestone fireplace in your family room can be the one design element that everyone in your family agrees with and is comforted by especially when it starts raining or snowing outside.

Pedigree (History and Provenance) of the fireplace aside, what design elements one should consider when selecting a fireplace that may last you a lifetime in some cases?

You always need to keep in mind that your fireplace selection will have to be a permanent fixture in your home and is supposed to live through any design change your room or home will be going through in the future. What would you rather go for? A well carved fireplace or a simply hand carved one? Let’s consider the positive aspects of both choices and see how they may pertain to your taste buds.

Fully carved stone mantles:

When considering a fully hand carved limestone fireplace close your eyes and think of a complex and rich multi-layered ‘Taurasi’ wine blend from ‘Campania’ that’s been well aged in oak barrels.

What nuances would your eyes savor? Can you envision tasting the Southern Italian Baroque acanthus leaves free flowing on this mantle corbeled sides or the rich and velvety pallet of the sprawling and spiraling vined foliage that can grace the front face of your unique fireplace?

Can you imagine the glowing heat radiating from inside the stone built firebox of such a captivating mantle? The reflected shadow of the flame dancing on the medieval carved limestone coupled with the intoxicating sound on the flickering burning wood becoming one with the melody of slowly decanted bottle of Barolo from Piedmont…

If you picture yourself in that frame, allow yourself to be captured by an antique well carved limestone fireplace that’s been salvaged from centuries old Renaissance or Baroque castles by Ancient Surfaces.

A fully carved fireplace of that era will define the look of your entire room and anchor your whole house with an authentic design persona.

Simple carved Fireplace:

Simply carved fireplaces allow visual evenhandedness between styles, finish patina and shade of the room and the stone of the fireplace. In a simple fireplace the design focus shifts from the carving to the actual antique limestone itself as it becomes the predominant design feature of the mantel instead of its minimal carved elements.

When it’s simple it goes with everything else right? Well yes that is true, but one has to be careful that going with everything doesn’t turn into a disappearing act where the mantle itself totally blends with its environment in the same way a window frame blends with the wall.

Simple architectural fireplaces when realized symmetrically and when created and carved under the golden ratio and the golden mean will carry more of a creative punch than most of its other ornately carved counterparts. Minimalism when portrayed in well-defined and harmonic ratios, guarantees you a powerful visual output and a soothing organic feel that will satisfy your design vision for that space.

With a simple yet elegant antique hand carved fireplace you’ll be looking more at the architecture, structure and patina of the fireplace and how its various component simply integrate together with your space.

As a wise man once said: “the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.” William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347)

Only second to an outdoor limestone fountain, a fireplace is an architectural element that’s guaranteed to make your backyard the place where everyone wants to be. It easily becomes the focal point of an outdoor living space, drawing both friends and family together around its warm glitter.

An outdoor fireplace that’s hand carved out of limestone can turn a regular yard to an ‘Al Fresco’ living room. Adding a harmonious and exciting space for kids to hover over as they roast marshmallows over a rustic wood burning flame or relaxing with a glass of wine in the evening with friends and loved ones are some of the numerous mood and climate altering applications of any outdoor antique limestone fireplaces you’ll find at Ancient Surfaces.

Choosing a fireplace may seems like a daunting task until you contact us. It pays to work with a company that has 50 years of field experience in the art of fireplace design, making, reclaiming and installation. So if you’re dreaming of adding an outdoor fireplace to your yard here are the top 5 key things to consider beforehand:

Increase resale price: Studies like the CV report have shown the RIO or return on investment on both, outdoor and indoor fireplaces are the highest out of all other remodeling projects you can undertake in your home. If you are considering selling your home sometime in the future, an outdoor fireplace can be very beneficial at sale time. Accented with comfy outdoor living furniture, it will help potential buyers to easily imagine themselves in that space.

Select your burn- fireplace vs. fire pit: Built-in fire pit can be either contemporary or old world looking. Ironically, on many occasions, we’ve converted ancient rounded and rectangular wellheads into fire pits. Their lower height 20 to 22 inches allow them to be placed virtually anywhere in your backyard as they embrace your open space without any visual interruption.

Stone fireplaces are more majestic and monumental in nature. They’ll help you add an architectural presence to any given outdoor location. Offset your fireplace a few feet from a neighbor’s property wall will help you turn a major outdoor design minus into a plus. The fireplaces can be the same as the ones you are used to seeing inside villa style homes in Europe.

Wood vs Gas burning: You can always purchase a prefabricated firebox that range in price from a couple thousand dollars to brand name boxes that are double that figure. Your other option is to have a mason build you a wood/gas burning box from scratch. In both cases you’ll still need to stone clad or stone tile the return and chimney stack in a stone element that complement the stone fireplace mantle you are after.

Without going into your city ordinances and local construction codes on wood vs. gas burning fireplaces or debating the environmental impact of each option, we believe that from an aesthetic and design standpoint a wood burning fireplace offers a unique source of heat that warms people on so many levels while providing you with a mesmerizing audio-visual show that is like no other. In most cases, people settle for a dual Wood/gas burning firebox that offers its users a flexible solution, that is both, romantic and practical as the flames continue to burst out heat long after the logs has turned into cider.

Built-in versus freestanding: Installing an outdoor fireplace is a big architectural plus no matter how you look at it. However, before settling on a plan, think about how you envision yourself using the space. Do you have an open or roofed patio? Do you have an expanded opened-air space just a few step away from your pool of Jacuzzi that can be complemented with a freestanding fire pit?

Consider, but don’t be narrowed by your home’s architecture: The fire pit shown here from ancient surfaces has a lustrous, modern look yet fits in charmingly with any traditional old world looking home.

If you are having trouble imagining how a certain fireplace would look with your home, consider taking your search into the digital realm by starting a free Houzz profile and a Houzz idea book. Start piling in some of the hundreds of photo ideas we have parked in our Houzz database.

One good advice we could give you though, is to choose a stone chimney-piece you really enjoy looking at. Whether it’s the focus of your pool patio or centered on a side property wall, chances are you’ll hopefully live with it for a long time.

This Online catalog selection featuring some of our captivating antique limestone fireplaces were taken from our own printed fireplace catalog from 2011 to 2016.

One of a kind antique limestone fireplace hundreds of years old reclaimed and restored by hand, shipped from Spain to a French castle in the Dordogne region close to the Limousine national forest.

A captivating antique Limestone Fireplace that features an over mantle or a ‘trumeaux’ as its called in French.

A lovely antique stone fireplace with an etched Cross motif on its midsection. This Cross is known as the Maltese Cross.

A finely carved crest of two lions flanking a Medici vase is the main characteristic of this antique 15th century fireplace.

A beige limestone antique fireplace dating back to the 17th century. This lovely stone mantle was restored to its formed glory by the capable hands of our professional artisans who had to change and beef up its top shelf and extend its legs.

This antique Italian beige limestone fireplace was supplied, restored and installed for this charming private Italian Villa. Over the years, the list of our clientele has grown into the thousands and reads like a Forbes 500 list.

Both our clients and competitors admire the rarity and uniqueness of our one of a kind Antique Fireplace Mantles that we salvage and carefully (and sometime painstakingly) restore back to their original splendor without defacing the time honored patina that those pieces have acquired during their temporal journey since their hand carving centuries ago.

We are trying to move with the times by making our entire Yard stocks becoming digitally available for online viewing.

This Italian countryside fireplace was hand carved out of limestone & installed with an interesting crisscross herringbone pattern.

A unique hand carved limestone fireplace coupled with its own custom seating bench. Ideal for outdoor settings, and family rooms. The middle Floral is an old European symbol of the Virgin Mary, is carved and mounted on a the middle keystone.

Side profile of the same hand carved limestone fireplace shown just above.

We still consider ourselves apprentices who are in constantly pursuit of perfecting our craft by learning more and more about our past and how to better merge it with our present contemporary setting because once you stop learning about your roots and origins you stop caring about your future projection and stop growing as a company or as individuals.